Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Stolen Moments

Life is full of stolen moments. These are the precious pieces of glue that make life complete. They can be anything from the stolen kiss of secret lovers (hello Romeo and Juliette) to singing in the shower, and the amazing thing about them is that we don't even realize how profoundly important they are.

These are the moments in time when everything stops. When you live outside the constraints of hours, minutes, and seconds, and you live solely in the now. You don't worry about what you have done or what you have to do, you simply revel in the beauty of existing. And it is truly, devastatingly, beautiful.

I fear that we so often get caught up in the daily grind that we forget to steal those moments back from the world. We forget that those moments are our moments. They don't belong to the world, to work, or to the carpool. They belong to you and you alone.

When was the last time you took a moment to truly notice your lover? For that matter, when was the last time you thought about that person as a lover rather than a standard fixture in your life?

When was the last time you danced to your favorite song in your house by yourself? Or the last time you sang in the shower? Or the last time you sat perfectly still and listened to music simply to appreciate the beauty of the sound?

When was the last time you laughed with your best friend until you cried? Or the last time you hugged your best friend, simply because it feels so good to have that person close?

Life is so short, so fleeting, that we forget that living...actually living is in the stolen moments. The things people will remember about you when you die are not what you did at work, how much money you made, or what kind of car you drove.

They will remember that time you sang a duet together on a road trip. They will remember how hard you laughed when you rammed them off their bicycle. They will remember how wildly unsuccessful your attempt to hang a hammock in your first apartment was. They will remember that moment you had to say goodbye and how hard it was to let you go. They will remember the flirtatious glances, knowing smiles, and lingering kisses you shared when no one else was looking.

Stolen moments are so rare and we so often forget to steal them, let alone appreciate them. The world will happily commandeer all your time without so much as a second thought. It's up to you to steal that time back - to make the world stand still, even if it's only for the span of a smile.